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Red Stars Make Roster Additions In Dispersal Draft

Plus: a former Red Star may be returning

Soccer: International Friendly Women's Soccer-New Zealand at USA Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

This past Sunday the NWSL made official what a number of fans and reporters suspected and what had been leaked to the press days before— the Boston Breakers were folding. There’s plenty of debate over what happened and when and why, but the basic fact of the matter is no more. The Breakers are gone.

Once the decision was made public and official, the league moved quickly to settle any outstanding business. At the top of the list was organizing a Dispersal Draft to send Breakers players to other teams.

Here’s who the Chicago Red Stars picked up in the Dispersal Draft.

Rosie White

The New Zealand international spent two seasons with Liverpool Ladies before moving to Boston for the 2017 season. She made 22 appearances for the Breakers, scoring four goals along the way. The 24-year-old striker also has 84 caps for New Zealand and 17 international goals to her credit. White will have her work cut out for her in fighting for a starting spot, given that her competition includes Sam Kerr, Yuki Nagasato, and Sofia Huerta. But there’s a fair amount of potential upside here for not a whole lot of cost or risk for the Red Stars. It’ll be fun to see what she can deliver this year.

Ashton Miller

Boston selected the Duke University attacker in the 2018 NWSL College Draft as the 22nd overall pick. She has yet to see any pro minutes, but with 60 goals and 51 assists in her college career— placing her in the school’s all-time Top 10 list— Miller is definitely a hot prospect.

Joanna Boyles

Another member of the NWSL College Draft Class of 2018, Boyles was selected #32 overall. The young midfielder’s career at the University of North Carolina was disrupted after suffering two consecutive ACL tears, but she managed to make a comeback for her senior year and perform well enough to earn a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.

Whitney Engen

Sound familiar? The 30-year-old defender played for the Red Stars in the 2010 season, back when they were still in the old WPS. Since then she’s bounced around the American WoSo scene, with two spells at the now-defunct Pali Blues and Western New York Flash as well as the Houston Dash and, most recently, the Boston Breakers. She’s also played overseas, lining up for Liverpool Ladies and Tyresö FF, where she was teammates with now-former Red Star striker Christen Press.

About a year ago Engen announced she was taking a break from professional soccer, but left the door open for an eventual return. The Red Stars acquired her rights as part of the dispersal draft, claiming a right of first refusal should Engen decide to come out of retirement. Or at least, offering the opportunity to retire officially as a Red Star.

Engen’s response to this fascinating.